Saturday 21 / September / 2024
Muscat: Some park rangers had a “miracle” escape after two bullets narrowly missed them in a government wildlife reserve.
The wardens were taking a lunch break during their shift patrolling in Wadi Sareen Nature Reserve in Al Amerat on Thursday when two shots were fired.
One bullet struck the rangers’ vehicle and the other narrowly missed one of them.
A spokesman for the Office for Conservation of the Environment at the Diwan of Royal Court said officers are investigating and warned people not to stray into reserve areas. He also called for anyone with information to contact them.
“There were some patrol rangers at the Wadi Sareen Nature Reserve and it was about lunchtime so they were having lunch under a tree outside the ranger car when some unknown person shot two bullets from a far distance - one hit the rangers’ car and the other flew right before one of the rangers,” the spokesman said. “They were on their regular patrol in the reserve, and were outside the car when the person fired a bullet and by miracle the ranger survived.
Management
“The reserve is under the management of the Diwan of Royal Court, Office for Conservations of the Environment, and people who want to go inside need permission. We don’t know yet about the person who did the shooting or the reasons behind it. There is no information - why he did that, we don’t know yet.
“The legal procedures are taking place- the inspectors are doing their work to find out who carried out the act. People who have clues or can give us any information about the case can contact us.”
The Wadi Sareen is home to Gazelles and rare Arabian Tahrs. The Diwan is also in-charge of the Arabian Tahr Conservation Project in the area and is putting in place measures to protect the animal, a wary, grey-brown mountain goat found in the northern Omani mountains.
The project has been operating successfully since 1975. The Arabian Tahr lives at altitudes of above 2,000 metres on mountain cliffs where, unlike the drought tolerant oryx, it is dependent on small freshwater seepages.
The Wadi al Sareen, in the Wilayat of Al Amerat, has become the natural habitat for the Tahr.
“People who go there hunt Gazelles and Arabian Tahr but mostly Gazelles because they are found in the lower altitudes and the foothills, but Tahr are in the mountains. Gazelles are hunted for their meat – sometimes people sell the meat as well, however by law it is illegal to hunt all wild animals and any kind of hunting is not allowed,” the spokesman added.
“The rangers are fine, nothing happened to them, however it is our duty to conserve wildlife and so we discourage carrying of weapons especially in the protected areas because it becomes suspicious that those people have the intention of hunting or carrying illegal activities there. Wildlife is the natural heritage of the country and we have to conserve it - all of us as Omanis have to work together to conserve it.”
The Office of Environmental Conservation at the Diwan has a zero tolerance policy to violators of wildlife protected areas, and perpetrators will be issued with harsh penalties.
Article 3 of the Omani ‘Weapons and Munitions law’ says that it is prohibited, unless approved by Inspector General ROP and Customs or whom he ever authorises, to acquire firearms.
Article 5 says that with consideration to the provisions of article (3) of the law, it is permissible through arrangements by the Inspector General ROP and Customs to issue licence for acquiring firearms subject that number of licensed pieces shall not exceed three in accordance with the following criteria: The applicant to be of Omani nationality, age not less than 52 years, Medically fit to carry the weapon as conditions of medical fitness and evidence thereof shall be issued by the Inspector General ROP and Customs in coordination with Ministry of Health, Free of mental or psychological disease subject that applicant shall present certificate from a governmen licenced doctor if necessary, pass an examination in (safety precautions and handling of weapons) which conditions are to be determined by the Inspector General ROP and Customs, to be of good conduct and well mannered, Shall not be convicted in a crime or misdemeanour where used a weapon or carrying a weapon as committing such crime or misdemeanour, shall not be convicted in any crime falling under category of the crimes pertaining to national or state security within Omani criminal law.
